Ever wondered what you can recreate with your bland leftover rotisserie chicken?
Oh, Whole Foods, how I love you. Since Amazon has bought Whole Foods, the price of its rotisserie chicken went down to $5.99! Yes, you heard that right! But, you've got to be quick to get them, 'cause they disappear quickly. Just recently, Whole Foods has introduced the Rotisserie Wednesdays: every Wednesdays the price of the rotisserie chicken goes down by additional $2. I found out that my local Whole Foods store prices it at around $7.99, which is still a great deal! I like to get my rotisserie chicken at Whole Foods because the chicken there has less fat, it's organic and doesn’t have any hormones added.
I notice that whenever I am on the run, I tend to make a quick stop at Whole Foods to get myself a that magic rotisserie chicken. Personally, I think the skin has a lot of flavors. I also prefer white meat over dark meat, although it’s a bit bland for me. Eating the freshly made hot chicken is definitely a meal on its own, but I also like to get adventurous, pull apart the chicken, and re-create different recipes to keep it interesting. If I'm just feeling a little lazy, I slice it up and have it with my salad, over green beans, or mashed potatoes, but that’s rather boring. So, let’s spice it up and give a different twist to your bland rotisserie chicken.
1. Enchiladas
My mother makes the BEST enchiladas with rotisserie chicken. Basically, you can cheat your way to make chicken enchiladas and avoid the cooking process of the chicken beforehand. To make enchiladas, pull apart the chicken, put it into a bowl and set it aside. Next, sauté some onions and green peppers with some olive oil and sea salt. Then, add the chicken into the mix until it is fully mixed, add the cheese and sour cream. Once it gets cheesy, BAM, you've got the filling for your enchiladas. Also, feel free to check out this other recipe from Rachael Ray.
2. Chicken Salad
Thankfully, the leftover chicken, mixed with a few other ingredients from your fridge can make a perfect chicken salad. Although I’ve never tried chicken salad before, because of my mayonnaise intolerance, I am willing to try out this hack and use dairy-free mayonnaise. Using avocado, instead of mayonnaise, you make an even healthier chicken salad.
3. Add Your Own Seasonings, Like Sofrito
If the rotisserie chicken has been sitting in your fridge for a couple of days, its flavor and texture is not the same. To add some freshness and flavor back into it, cut the chicken into whatever size you like and add your own seasoning to it. I usually love to make sofrito, a Puerto Rican recipe made from cilantro, green peppers, onions. I like to marinade the chicken with sofrito and grill it afterwards for the extraterrestrial flavor. Or you could broil it first, roasting it it for several more minutes at the end.
4. Tacos
If I'm hungry and want something quick, I like to make tacos out of my rotisserie chicken. I usually strip apart the chicken, sauté it in the olive oil and add my favorite taco seasonings to it. I warm up the soft corn tortillas, fill 'em up and top 'em all off with lettuce and pico de gallo. It's easy, quick and delicious. just perfect for your favorite #TacoTuesday.
5. As A Topping For Your Pizza
Use your leftover chicken, add the BBQ or any other sauce on top to get your personalized and customized pizza. I like to use flatbread as a base for my pizza. You can add some chunky pizza sauce, BBQ chicken, red onions, and just like that, you've got your own homemade cheese-less pizza. YUM!
6. Panini
If you are craving panini, why go to Panera Bread, local restaurant or pizzeria? You can easily make your own panini at home. Use any bread you've got, stuff it with your leftover rotisserie chicken, spices and add some buffalo sauce. Since it's your recipe, stuff it with whatever ingredients you’d like. Place your panini on the grill and cook it until crisp and golden. It is best served with a side of potato chips, fries, pickles or a bowl of tomato soup. Isn't that the perfect lunch to impress your boo?
7. Burrito Bowl
Switch your usual Chipotle, Moe’s or your local burrito joint with your own homemade burrito bowl. Simply mix chunks of chicken with rice, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, or other toppings you like to have in your bowl. I’m sure you already have most of these ingredients in your fridge. Make the most of what you got. Surely it will turn out to be yummy and definitely more affordable to make in the comfort of your home.Also, feel free to recreate this amazing copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowl recipe.
8. Chicken Quesadillas
Although, I'v heard that Cheesecake makes bomb a** quesadillas, I thought, why overpay for a meal you can easily make at home? And if you love cheese, think about adding all those fun cheeses to it, as much as your heart desires. Use your flour tortillas, add your rotisserie chicken, bonus points if you love chipotle or sriracha sauce for some spice and BAM, here is it, your not so average basic quesadilla. (insert dancing girl emoji)
9. Pollo En Mole (Chicken with Mole Sauce)
Do you enjoy Mexican food as much as I do? But what if you are home along and it’s cold out, like most of the winter days here in Boston? Well, you can make your own Pollo en Mole right in your kitchen. It is nicely served with salad, brown rice, leftover chicken bites, topped off with mole sauce. You can always find the ready-to -eat mole sauce at the local supermarket in the international items aisle. What is a better way to show off your culinary skills than this?! (insert painting nail emoji)
The possibilities of reusing your rotisserie chicken are quite endless. It's all about creative thinking and the desire to experiment. So, don't let that bland leftover rotisserie chicken sit in the fridge and go bad. Use it to re-create one of these 9 gourmet meals. Naturally, your family and friends don't have to know how you got there. Bon Appetite!